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Madagascar Highlights November 6–21, 2018

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Madagascar Highlights November 6–21, 2018 MADAGASCAR HIGHLIGHTS NOVEMBER 6–21, 2018 AMPIJOROA-BETSIBOKA PRE-TRIP NOVEMBER 2–8, 2018 Indri LEADER: DION HOBCROFT LIST COMPILED BY: DION HOBCROFT VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC. 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78746 WWW.VENTBIRD.COM AMPIJOROA-BETSIBOKA PRE-TRIP NOVEMBER 2–8, 2018 We managed to visit remote Katsepy Lighthouse where a population of the rare Crowned Sifaka survives. Our party of five ladies convened in Antananarivo. After Jessica’s errant suitcase was retrieved by Fano, the stage was set for our pre-tour to remote northwest Madagascar. As ever, the sequence of the tour changed several times due to the erratic scheduling of Air Madagascar, this time for the best, as a new flight was scheduled but in the evening, and it saved us a full day of driving. So, on this first day we spent some time shopping and dining, and in the afternoon we spent a couple of hours at Lac Alarobia, a privately owned wetland in a gated estate that is packed to the gills with ducks and nesting herons. Looking through the more typical species, our visit was highlighted by a solitary male Comb Duck, seven Meller’s Ducks, and two stunningly beautiful Madagascar Pond-Herons in full breeding plumage. Arriving at the airport was well-timed for a great view of a Sooty Falcon. Our flight took off on time, and an hour later we were set up in the markedly more tropical climate of Mahjunga. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 2 Madagascar Highlights & Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2018 Our luck held on the Bestiboka delta with a single Bernier’s Teal allowing superb views! One of the world’s rare ducks! After some effort, we boarded our boat to take us up the delta of the Betsiboka River to islands of mangroves. This area is home to two rare endemics—the Madagascar Sacred Ibis and the Bernier’s Teal. Our luck was in, and we scored a single teal that showed extremely well–we even radioed it in to another group of birders. The ibis were also quite good, and despite a very low tide we could get close enough views to see the whites of their eyes, so that is close! Shorebirds were conspicuous including good looks at Greater Sand-Plover, Terek Sandpiper, and Curlew Sandpipers, while a small party of Saunder’s Terns were observed plunge-fishing in the main bay. A stiff sea-breeze kicked up early, and with the main targets under our belt we returned to Mahjunga. After a superb lunch and three-hour drive, we found ourselves gazing at our first lemurs—the stunningly beautiful Coquerel’s Sifaka. These snowy white, long-legged, maroon patched beauties munched mangos as they stared at us with golden eyes. A Sickle-billed Vanga on a nest was a good pickup as the forest echoed to chattering Broad-billed Rollers and rollicking Lesser Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 3 Madagascar Highlights & Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2018 Vasa-Parrots. We spent our first night at Fano’s new guest house where we were fed home-cooked meals by Jacky’s wife. Cold beer went down well in the heat. Great views of the elusive White-breasted Mesite (without even playing for them) were a treat. Restless Schlegel’s Asities gave us a bit of a runaround the next morning. Finally the male settled, and it was the cause of much “wowing” as it is a truly superb little forest passerine, found only in the humid vine forests of west Madagascar. The color in the facial skin defies logic. Without even using playback we had almost immediate success with the next major target, the cryptic White-breasted Mesite. The pair was not too concerned about us and flipped leaf litter as they poked about on the forest floor, finally coming up to the edge of the trail for good unobscured views and photographic chances of these quintessential Madagascan skulkers. In between these sightings there had been a constant procession of new birds including such gems as Blue Vanga, Ashy Cuckoo-Shrike, and Crested and Coquerel’s couas. Van Dam’s Vanga was proving to be a tough nut to crack, living up to its well-earned nickname of “That Damned Vanga,” and with the heat building we pulled the plug to have lunch and a siesta. Walking out we found another pair of mesites and had two fast views of Madagascar Crested Ibis. A great way to cool down came in the afternoon as we boated around Lac Ravelobe. Amazing views were had of the highly endangered Madagascar Fish-Eagle, one of which was bathing on the edge of the lake. A bonus was two pairs of Madagascar Grebes. A short walk to twin giant Baobab trees some 800-years-old produced a Giant Hog-nosed Snake that impressed all, disappearing into a hidden burrow and then re-appearing like magic. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 4 Madagascar Highlights & Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2018 After dark we went for a spotlight walk in a remnant patch of forest next to the guesthouse. The Golden- brown Mouse Lemurs gave exquisite views, not too concerned with the torchlight and clearly interested in the ripening figs. Two Madagascar Tree Boas were the final highlight of the day, both handsome specimens settled into rodent ambush mode. A male Cuckoo-Roller, an avian living fossil, was fantastically tame at Ampijoroa. Back on the trail of Van Dam’s Vanga, we were distracted by several high-quality encounters, best of which was a perched France’s Goshawk and then an incredible male Cuckoo-Roller. A Milne-Edward’s Sportive Lemur was spotted at the entrance to a tree hollow it uses as a day-roost. The VDV piped up and, after some re-positioning in the tall vine thicket, bang, up it popped for two good close encounters, yet it was quick to sweep away. Following this we tracked down a vocal male Rufous Vanga that was well-behaved in the end. Then we made a dash to a distant ephemeral wetland that produced the hoped-for Madagascar Jacana—now a very difficult bird to see in accessible areas. Heartening, it was a male with two small chicks. A small flock of the ornamentally plumaged African Pygmy-Geese showed well, another good regional pickup for our list of over 80 species. The jacana was the final of the specific birds we hoped Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 5 Madagascar Highlights & Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2018 to see, so with a clean slate (often not the case) we returned to Mahjunga for some air-conditioning and fine cuisine. With time up our sleeve, we hatched an adventure to Katsepy Lighthouse. After breakfast we loaded again in a boat and crossed the Betsiboka delta. Arriving on the south side of the river, we drove in a taxi-brousse to the lighthouse built in 1901. Here the lighthouse keeper led us straight to a party of the highly localized Crowned Sifaka, a family unit of six animals including a cute youngster riding piggyback on mum. They were unconcerned by our presence, even coming down onto the ground and leaping around in their spectacular fashion. It was a great encounter. Not many birds to report, although a Sooty Falcon flew over, and later we found a Peregrine Falcon consuming a Rock Pigeon. Some of us climbed up the lighthouse for good views of the endless coastline. In the afternoon we visited a local man who is a sand artist—quite exquisite illustrations made with colored sand poured precisely into glass bottles. Most could not resist purchasing some of these quite amazing and bargain priced display pieces. As ever, Madagascar Air gave us some grief, the plane eventually arriving and departing but very late. It was a tired group who arrived in Antananarivo, which was unfortunate as the whole of the tour had gone exceedingly smoothly otherwise in what can be a difficult and remote area to operate in. Luckily, another flight rescheduling gave us the time for a relaxing sleep-in, and the stage was set for the main tour. Thanks for traveling with me! A close encounter with France’s Goshawk was a highlight in Ampijoroa. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 6 Madagascar Highlights & Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2018 A Crested Coua strikes an inquisitive pose in Ampijoroa. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 7 Madagascar Highlights & Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2018 MADAGASCAR HIGHLIGHTS NOVEMBER 6–21, 2018 The superb Long-tailed Ground-Roller: impossible to see without the help of the amazing local guides in the Spiny Forest. With our group of intrepid birders now complete, those newly arrived played a bit of catch-up in the hotel gardens in Antananarivo: best, a pair of roosting Barn Owls, here of the African subspecies (apparently poensis ), and a pair of Madagascar Nightjars. Our flight took off close to schedule and arrived in Toliara to a gale and dust storm. The wind was really whipping along, so it was a great surprise to find a female Greater Painted-Snipe feeding in a small pond beside the road to Ifaty. More typical shorebirds present included Curlew Sandpiper, Kittlitz’s Plover, Black-winged Stilt, and Ruddy Turnstone. Our next great surprise was the rare Madagascar Plover, a good result to see so well from the bus in a storm! At dusk the wind settled down, and a short walk produced great looks at the extraordinarily cute Gray-brown Mouse Lemur. The morning, as the pattern would become, was still and calm, perfect for us to visit the Spiny Forest Reserve with expert local guides Freddy and Riddafy, members of Mosa’s family, the patriarch of Spiny Forest birding.
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